HORNETS KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO FACE A TOUGH TEAM IN MVSU

ITTA BENA, Miss.—The Alabama State University football team has arrived in Itta Bena, Miss., and put in their final preparations for tomorrow’s Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) match up against the Delta Devils.

ASU (6-4/ 6-2 SWAC) enters the game looking to get back on the winning track after dropping consecutive games at Kentucky and to Southern.  MVSU (2-8/2-6 SWAC) has struggled at times this season but enters their final game of the season coming off a win over Texas Southern.  The ASU coaching staff is well aware of the talent they will be facing at Rice-Totten Stadium tomorrow.

“Valley has some really explosive players and they have always had some explosive guys,” Head Coach Reggie Barlow said.  “On special teams we have to make sure we control the Stafford kid who is a very explosive returner.”

MVSU has one of the top defenses in the conference only allowing 388 yards per game.  Out of the eight losses they have suffered, five of those have been by less than 10 points, so they have been in almost every game they have played this season, and that has been because of their defense.

“Defensively they rank near the top of the conference in total defense and we have to establish the run.  That is something we have been able to do that this year and I think that will open the passing game for us.  We have to take care of the football and take advantage of the opportunities to put the ball in the end zone when we get them.”

ASU’s defense comes into the game facing a team that has some good offensive players, but the Delta Devils are only averaging 269 yards and 19.6 points per game this season.  Where MVSU has really struggled is rushing the ball, which just happens to be ASU’s strength.  MVSU is averaging  only 87.6 yards rushing per game while ASU’s defense continues to be the top rushing defense in the league allowing 112 yards per game and 2.8 yards per rush.

Their offense has not done as well as they have expected, but that does not meant they can move the ball,” Barlow said.  “For us to better our chances for the win we need for our defense to get some turnovers; we have to be physical and not allow their receivers to have explosive plays on us.”

LADY HORNETS CROSS COUNTRY COMPLETES SEASON

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama State University cross country team completed their season at the NCAA South Region Championship, finishing with 689 points.

There were about 200 runners participating in the rainy event and each of the Lady Hornets continued to show their improvement at each event as some of the runners set their personal records in a 6K run at the regional.

Artrailia LeSane was the first Lady Hornet to cross the line finishing 103rd with a time of 22:06.94 improving on her previous run of 22:08. Paige Rankin was the next Lady Hornet to cross the finish line in 110th running a time of 22:14.75.

Kimberly Weddeburn finished 141st, crossing the line in 23:04.10. Her personal record coming into the regional was 23:37.  Shantia Wilson finished 158th with a time of 23:40.94, with a personal best being 23:54. Jerrica Mahone also set her personal best with a 177th place finish, she ran the regional in 25:20.68 and her best time was 26:22.

Soyong Smith ran a time of 25:25.80 finishing 178th. Tatiana Etienne ran a time of 25:27.86 finishing 179th.

“It’s always a good experience when you can come on a stage like this and compete against some of the best runners in the nation,” Head Coach Ritchie Beene said.

Florida State was the overall winner of the region followed by Vanderbilt, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.ASU will take some time off before they begin their preparations for the Indoor Track and Field season which begins in December.

“I am really proud of the girls, the South Region is very difficult and has some of the best girls coming out of this area. “I’m a little disappointed about the final result but, overall we ran well and will take this experience as we get ready for Indoor, “said Beene.

VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS DELTA DEVILS AT HOME, 3-0
Written by: Carleddy Saint Jean

Montgomery- The Alabama State University Women’s Volleyball team sweeps Mississippi Valley State 3-0 (25-20, 27-23, 25-14) at Lockhart Gym Friday night.

Myla Marshall led the team with 14 Kills, hitting .480 in the game. She was joined in double digits by Tiara Kelley with 10 who for .217, and Amber Bennett had 11 kills with a .444 hitting percent. As a team the Lady Hornets hit .238.
Brooke Beasley led the team with 19 assists and Ellyn Jones added 17 while Luiza Griz had 9 digs.

The first game was highlighted by ASU’s Luiza Griz’s 7 digs as the Hornets won 25-20.

ASU’s defense played a part in the win as they held Mississippi Valley to .099 hitting percentage while recording 10 team blocks.

“The ladies played a great game, they have been working hard in practice and fought hard for this victory tonight” said Head Coach Penny Lucas-White.

Set two wasn’t as easy for the Hornets as the Delta Devils jumped out to an early 11-5 lead. Alabama State fought back to pull within one 16-15. After a tie game at 21 a piece the Lady Hornets dominated in the final stretch behind Myla Marshall’s 8 kill performance as,  ASU finished off  Mississippi Valley 27-23 to take set two and go up 2-0.

“We had to pick it up in set two, they were up 11-5 at one point, and behind Myla Marshall’s performance we were able to climb back and win the set,” said Lucas-White.

After a 5-5 tie to start off the third set by both teams, the Lady Hornets would take control scoring five consecutive points to go up 10-5. ASU would then dominate the rest of the match outscoring the Delta Devils 14-9 to end the set and take the overall match 25-14.

“We just want to be more consistent heading into our match against a young Alcorn team, Lucas-White said. We will continue to work hard as our SWAC postseason play approaches”.

Lady Hornets Pick Up Second Win

The Alabama State women’s basketball team secured a 64-49 win over the Bluefield State College Rams Friday night at the Dunn Oliver Acadome.
“I thought it was a game where we started off sluggish at the beginning,” said head coach Freda Freeman-Jackson.  “We played good defense seeing that we held them to 18 points at the half.” 
 
In the first half the Lady Hornets came out shooting 10-25 and going 0-4 behind the arch. Quentori Alford led the Lady Hornets in the in the half with ten points and four rebounds.  The Lady Hornets defense held the Lady Rams to just 23% from the field and 14% from 3-point land. Nakiya Smith contributed six points, while Daniele Ewert had eight rebounds underneath the basket.  The Lady Hornets scored eight points off of turnovers with the bench adding 14.  With 1:52 left in the game Alabama State held it’s largest lead of the game.
“The second half we went up 19 points and saw some good production off the bench,” Freeman-Jackson said.  “Ewert really stepped up and showed she can play, she was able to rebound and distribute the ball for us, she even added six points to the mix.”
Ewert Played 23 minutes with six points, ten rebounds, and two assists. Danielle Gazaway scored 14 points, with Alford finishing with 19 points and six rebounds.
The Lady Hornets scored 41 points and gathered 16 rebounds in the second half, finishing the game shooting 40%. the key point of the night was Alabama State free throw shooting 95% going 19-20 from the free strip.  Defensively ASU held the Lady Rams to just 28%.

WATERS, CLUTCH FREE-THROW SHOOTING LEAD HORNETS PAST JACKSONVILLE STATE

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Jamel Waters scored 16 points, and the Alabama State men’s basketball team was strong at the free-throw line to win at Jacksonville State 84-73 Saturday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

In a contest that saw 53 fouls called, the Hornets (2-2) made them count, making 32-of-39 at the charity stripe. Buoyed by its performance at the line, Alabama State led most of the game, trailing just three times.

“I thought the guys came out tonight and stuck to the game plan,” Hornets’ men’s basketball coach Lewis Jackson said of his team, whose largest deficit was just two points at the beginning of the game. “We played with a lot of poise and executed the offense really well. We did a really good job on defense for the better part of the first half.”

Alabama State got off to blistering start from the field, making eight of 10 shots in the first eight-plus minutes of the game. The Hornets took their largest lead at 16 points, doubling up the Gamecocks at 32-16 after a pair of free throws by Waters with 8:44 to play in the first half.

Jacksonville State (1-3) chipped away at the deficit, outscoring Alabama State 23-12 over the remainder of the half, as the Hornets lead just 44-43 at halftime.

The lead changed hands four times in the first two minutes of the second half before the Hornets regained the lead for good on a layup by Brandon Graham to give the Hornets a 47-46 lead with just over 18 minutes remaining. After the final tie of the game at 54-all with 14:21 to play, Alabama State went on a 14-4 run to push the margin to 10. Terrence LeFlore hit back-to-back three-pointers at the end of the run to give the Hornets a 68-58 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining. Jacksonville State got no closer than five points the rest of the way.

Alabama State shot better than 52 percent from the field in the second half (11-of-21), and 16-of-21 at the free-throw line in the final 20 minutes. Waters and DeMarcus Robinson, who scored 15 points, each went 8-of-8 at the line. Luther Page added 11 points for the Hornets, who shot 50 percent from the field in the game (24-of-48).

“We knew like any good team, they would make a run,” Jackson said of Jacksonville State. “We had the big lead, and they cut it to one. We told the guys at halftime we could win by one. Let’s go out and keep executing the way we did early on. The biggest thing we did was make free throws. It was a great road win for us. We needed this to give us great momentum going into Monday night’s home game (at 7 p.m.) against a great Chicago State team.”

BOWLING FINISHES FIFTH AFTER DAY ONE OF ACTION

MONTGOMERY- Day one of a three day event, of the 2013 ASU Hornet Invitational, finds host team Alabama State in the fifth slot, after a full day of Bakers competition at Brunswick Zone Lanes Friday.

Sam Houston State Lady Bearcats rolled a 3728 (4-0) pin fall total, leading all teams.   Alabama A&M (3-2) is a close second with 3702, Tulane University (3-1) holds a steady third place (3598); with Florida A&M (3-1), in fourth place, posting 3587, with Alabama State (3-2) posting a 3582 total pin count. The rest of the field is as follows: UAV (3-2) 3581, Jackson State (1-4) 3436, Louisiana Tech (2-2) 3404, Texas Southern (3-2) 3365, Southern (1-4) 3155, and Grambling State (0-4) 2935.

To open up match-play, the Lady Hornets drew a bye with a total pin fall of 688. In match number two, ASU beat Southern with a total pin fall of 770-672. For the third match, the Lady Hornets lost a narrow margin to Florida A&M 793-777. Match four saw ASU hold off Jackson State 711-648. Match five would go down to the wire as the Lady Hornets would need extra frames, as they tied Texas Southern at 636. The Lady Tigers would narrowly eke by in the extra frame 76-68, to close out day one.

Day two of the Hornet Invitational will resume Saturday, at 9 a.m., at Brunswick Lanes.

THIS WEEK IN ASU ATHLETICS

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—A limited week of athletic events is on hand this week as they fall sports begin to conclude their season’s and the winter sports begin in earnest.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will host games this week with the men’s team hosting Chicago State Monday evening and the women hosting Mobile Tuesday.
ASU’s East Division Champion volleyball team will begin their trek toward the SWAC Championship this week when they make their way to Jackson, Miss., for the SWAC Tournament.

The football team will be off this week as they prepare for the 90th Turkey Day Classic on Nov. 28 when they host Stillman College at 3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 22
Volleyball:  at SWAC Tournament; Jackson, Miss.; TBA

Sunday, Nov. 23
Volleyball:  at SWAC Tournament; Jackson, Miss.: TBA

On the Horizon
Thursday, Nov. 28
Football: vs. Stillman College; 90th Turkey Day Classic; 3 p.m.

-Hornets-

THIS WEEK IN ASU ATHLETICS

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—A limited week of athletic events is on hand this week as they fall sports begin to conclude their season’s and the winter sports begin.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will host games this week with the men’s team hosting Chicago State Monday evening and the women hosting Mobile Tuesday.
ASU’s East Division Champion volleyball team will begin their trek toward the SWAC Championship this week when they make their way to Jackson, Miss., for the SWAC Tournament.

The football team will be off this week as they prepare for the 90th Turkey Day Classic on Nov. 28 when they host Stillman College at 3 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 18
Men’s Basketball: vs. Chicago State; 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 19
Women’s Volleyball: vs. Mobile; 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 22
Volleyball:  at SWAC Tournament; Jackson, Miss.; TBA

Sunday, Nov. 23
Volleyball:  at SWAC Tournament; Jackson, Miss.: TBA

On the Horizon
Thursday, Nov. 28
Football: vs. Stillman College; 90th Turkey Day Classic; 3 p.m.

ASU’S DEFENSE LEADS HORNETS TO FINAL ROAD WIN

ITTA BENA, Miss.—On a day when the Alabama State University offense struggled on the football field, the Hornet’s defense stepped up, scored a touchdown and held Mississippi Valley State to one score on their way to a 19-7 win.

ASU had their worse offensive game of the season as MVSU’s defense made the Hornets offense struggle from the get go.  ASU only ran for 75 yards on 36 carries and the passing game was off as well throwing for 128 yards picking up 203 total yards.

MVSU was not much better as they only managed 67 yards rushing and threw for 211 yards in picking up 278 yards of total offense.

“I have had the opportunity to come to Valley as a player, assistant coach and now as a head coach and it is tough,” Head Coach Reggie Barlow said.  “You can’t allow the atmosphere to dictate the way you play and unfortunately we did on offense, but on defense we found a way to make some plays.”

ASU’s defense had three total sacks with Derrick Billups grabbing 1.5 (-8 yards) of those.  In fact, Billups may have had his best game of the year finishing with nine total tackles with 6.5 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage (-28 yards).

Along with the three sacks the Hornets’ defense came up with 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage which resulted in another 52 yards of lost yardage.

Edward Mosley came up with a fumble recovery and Deandre Rashada and Najee Bright teamed for what may have been the tide-turning play of the game at the end of the first half, and each had interceptions.

“Our defensive line has been strong all season and they did a good job for us today,” Barlow said.  “Valley wasn’t really able to run the ball on us and they (defense) did a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback, although we would have liked to have a few more sacks on him, but we were able to get some pressure on him and keep them from running the ball.”

There was only one score in the second half and that came from the arm of Daniel Duhart who hit Jamel Johnson from 15 yards out late in the third quarter.

Most of MVSU’s offense came from quarterback Patrick Ivy.  He completed 17 of his 37 pass attempts for 211 yards.  He was also the game’s leading rusher with 58 yards on 16 carries, and most of those came on scrambling plays.

Duhart finished the game completing 16 of his 34 pass attempts for 128 yards and the score.  He also had three interceptions, which evened his interception number he had thrown before today’s game.

Both offenses struggled in the first half as the defenses took over.  ASU only managed 124 yards on 41 plays while the hosts had 145 yards on 32 plays.

MVSU (2-9/2-76 SWAC) actually took a 7-0 when they were able to get a short field and drove 56 yards in 11 plays as Patrick Ivy scored from yard out in the first quarter.

ASU (7-4/ 7-2 SWAC) took the ensuing kickoff and drove 42 yards down the field and after the drive stalled, Bobby Wenzig was able to kick a season-long 46 yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3.

Neither offense could get anything going in the second quarter until the Hornets drove 46 yards in 11 plays and Wenzig added his second field goal of the half from 31 yards out and the Hornets trailed 7-6 with eight seconds left in the half.

After a short kickoff, MVSU’s Ivy threw a long pass on the final play of the half.  Najee Bright intercepted the ball on ASU’s 25 and began to weave his way down field.  At MVSU’s 15 yard line he flipped the ball back to Deandre Rashada who was able to go the final 15 yards and dove into the endzone for the score.  The extra point was blocked, but ASU led 12-7 going into halftime.

“Right before that play I am trying to think what I’m going to say to these guys at halftime to get them going and to go and play, “Barlow said.  “And then Najee Bright making a play and not being satisfied with getting the interception but trying to score and pitching it (to Rashada) for the score.  I thought that would get us going coming out after halftime but we still struggled.”

ASU will be off next week with their next game coming Nov. 28 when they host Stillman College in the 90th Turkey Day Classic at 3 p.m.